News

St. Tammany Parish Government Fights Blight Through the Removal of Sunken Vessels

The St. Tammany Parish Government Office of Inspections and Enforcement has prompted the removal or retrieval of 11 sunken boats from the waterways in the eastern parts of St. Tammany , including the areas of Coin Du Lestin and Eden Isles, since early 2016, at no cost to St. Tammany Taxpayers. This was accomplished through a focused effort to increase owner compliance, and ultimately follow through by having the owners remove the vessels in question. According to Inspections and Enforcement officers, it would cost taxpayers a minimum of $3000.00 for Parish Government to remove and properly dispose of a sunken vessel. They add that many more sunken vessels remain in St. Tammany Waterways.

Sunken vessels pose several threats to navigational safety. These vessels can release pollutants into the waterways such as gasoline and engine fluids, they can move around during a severe weather event and especially during a storm surge. This displacement can cause a vessel to become a projectile during a storm event, or can move the vessel into the navigational path of other boats on the waterway.

“We will continue to fight blight every way we can, especially when it poses a threat to public safety, at as little cost to taxpayers as possible,” said Pat Brister, St. Tammany Parish President. “Our Inspections and Enforcement Department works closely with our Parish Council members, who regularly request action on behalf of constituents in their districts, as well as with individual residents who report these dangerous violations.”

The Office of Inspections and Enforcement asks that anyone who wishes to report a sunken vessel, to please call the 985-898-5214, where you can report this violation anonymously.

###

To learn more about where your tax dollars are invested, visit www.stpgov.org/initiatives. Stay up-to-date on what’s happening in Parish Government when you sign up for email updates at www.stpgov.org. On the right-hand side of the home page, click on Sign Up For Parish Updates, and this will take you to our sign-up page. Follow us on social media on Facebook and Twitter.